Ernest Cole: Lost and Found, directed and written by Raoul Peck and narrated by Lakeith Stanfield, invites us into the life and voice of one of South Africa’s influential yet unsung heroes of photojournalism and activism. Through words and imagery, this documentary introduces the world to Ernest Cole, a pioneering freelance photographer whose work captured the brutal realities of South African apartheid and the enduring struggle for freedom.
Ernest Levi Tsoloane Kole, born in 1940 in Eersterust, Pretoria, began his career sweeping floors in a Johannesburg photography studio. He finally broke through when hired by famed Black outlet Drum magazine in the late 1950s. Cole’s lens was unflinching, and his images of the oppressive apartheid state quickly made him a target for the South African government. Through his pictures, he chronicled how racism existed in every facet of daily life and how the intense subjugation forced the Black people...
Ernest Levi Tsoloane Kole, born in 1940 in Eersterust, Pretoria, began his career sweeping floors in a Johannesburg photography studio. He finally broke through when hired by famed Black outlet Drum magazine in the late 1950s. Cole’s lens was unflinching, and his images of the oppressive apartheid state quickly made him a target for the South African government. Through his pictures, he chronicled how racism existed in every facet of daily life and how the intense subjugation forced the Black people...
- 5/20/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg (Alexis Bloom and Svetlana Zill)
You can’t always get what you want, unless you are a Rolling Stones fan hungering for documentary deep-dives into the band’s storied history. Indeed, it is spectacularly serendipitous that Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg arrives just a few months after The Stones and Brian Jones. The latter doc, from Nick Broomfield, centered on Jones, the band’s founder and leader until Mick Jagger and Keith Richards snatched that mantle. Catching Fire and The Stones and Brian Jones cover much of the same ground, use some of the same archival footage, and even feature the same anecdotes from delightful Tin Drum director Volker Schlöndorff. The films are...
Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg (Alexis Bloom and Svetlana Zill)
You can’t always get what you want, unless you are a Rolling Stones fan hungering for documentary deep-dives into the band’s storied history. Indeed, it is spectacularly serendipitous that Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg arrives just a few months after The Stones and Brian Jones. The latter doc, from Nick Broomfield, centered on Jones, the band’s founder and leader until Mick Jagger and Keith Richards snatched that mantle. Catching Fire and The Stones and Brian Jones cover much of the same ground, use some of the same archival footage, and even feature the same anecdotes from delightful Tin Drum director Volker Schlöndorff. The films are...
- 5/3/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Nadia Romdhani, former Screen International and The Drum executive, is joining Deadline as Sales Director, International.
Romdhani, a seasoned executive with more than 20 years of experience in the advertising, film and TV sectors, will be based in London as part of Deadline‘s formidable international team.
In her role helping to grow Deadline‘s overseas business she will report to Celine Rotterman, Deadline‘s SVP Global Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, who is also based in London.
Romdhani, a fluent French speaker, was most recently Head of Data Operations and Lead Generation at marketing and media industry publication The Drum. Before that she served as Publishing Director at Screen International, Kftv and The Knowledge between 2016-2020. During her 11 year-stint at UK trade Screen she brokered major deals and initiatives across print, digital and live media-events.
Romdhani said: “I am thrilled to become a part of the highly skilled group of...
Romdhani, a seasoned executive with more than 20 years of experience in the advertising, film and TV sectors, will be based in London as part of Deadline‘s formidable international team.
In her role helping to grow Deadline‘s overseas business she will report to Celine Rotterman, Deadline‘s SVP Global Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, who is also based in London.
Romdhani, a fluent French speaker, was most recently Head of Data Operations and Lead Generation at marketing and media industry publication The Drum. Before that she served as Publishing Director at Screen International, Kftv and The Knowledge between 2016-2020. During her 11 year-stint at UK trade Screen she brokered major deals and initiatives across print, digital and live media-events.
Romdhani said: “I am thrilled to become a part of the highly skilled group of...
- 1/23/2024
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline Film + TV
“One Piece” has officially been renewed for a second season after dominating Netflix’s global Top 10 charts for the past two weeks.
The streamer announced the renewal on X in a video with the property’s creator, Eiichio Oda. In the video, Oda censors his face — a move that has become part of the creator’s brand — and picks up a signature “One Piece” snail phone.
“What did you think of Season 1 of the live-action ‘One Piece?’ I spent a long time working on it with Netflix and Tomorrow Studios,” Oda says. “To everyone who’s been a fan of ‘One Piece’ for years, and to those who experienced ‘One Piece’ for the first time, thank you so much.”
The manga creator then announces the series has been renewed for a second season. “The adventures of Iñaki [Godoy] and the live-action Straw Hats will continue onward. It’ll still take a...
The streamer announced the renewal on X in a video with the property’s creator, Eiichio Oda. In the video, Oda censors his face — a move that has become part of the creator’s brand — and picks up a signature “One Piece” snail phone.
“What did you think of Season 1 of the live-action ‘One Piece?’ I spent a long time working on it with Netflix and Tomorrow Studios,” Oda says. “To everyone who’s been a fan of ‘One Piece’ for years, and to those who experienced ‘One Piece’ for the first time, thank you so much.”
The manga creator then announces the series has been renewed for a second season. “The adventures of Iñaki [Godoy] and the live-action Straw Hats will continue onward. It’ll still take a...
- 9/14/2023
- by Kayla Cobb
- The Wrap
With Thursday Preview Screenings for Barbie and Oppenheimer officially underway, now is the perfect time to drop a creative trailer for the mash-up event of the summer – Barbenheimer! The geniuses at the Dumb Drum YouTube channel are breaking out the toy box to recreate Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer trailer, featuring a cast of Barbie dolls! The blonde bombshell herself steps into the role of J. Robert Oppenheimer, played by Cillian Murphy, in the riveting new drama. In the Barbenheimer trailer, Barbie and the gang contemplate their actions while building the most terrifying weapon known to humankind.
Using a cast of Barbie dolls, everyday household items, and visual effects, Dumb Drum recreates the tension of Christopher Nolan’s latest opus. The Barbeheimer trailer includes black-and-white footage mixed with colored scenes. Still, the deep cuts don’t stop there. The trailer features a section of Barbie’s Dreamhouse as the facility where...
Using a cast of Barbie dolls, everyday household items, and visual effects, Dumb Drum recreates the tension of Christopher Nolan’s latest opus. The Barbeheimer trailer includes black-and-white footage mixed with colored scenes. Still, the deep cuts don’t stop there. The trailer features a section of Barbie’s Dreamhouse as the facility where...
- 7/20/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Vampire Weekend have revealed they are adding raga singing into their repertoire on their new album. Better yet, the New York indie rockers also promised the project is “close to done.”
In a newsletter (via Vulture) accompanying the first volume of their new vinyl series, drummer Chris Tomson gave fans the lay of the land, saying lead singer Ezra Koenig “took a raga singing lesson with Terry Riley in rural Japan and wrote what he considers to be 7 of his all-time top 10 best songs.” Whether or not the band is replacing guitars with sitars is currently unknown.
Tomson went on to describe being able to “connect, jawbone, and jam” with his bandmates without any responsibilities and compared it to their formation at Columbia University. “I personally found an immense peace and pleasure from creating with the guys like we had in the Ruggles days,” he wrote. “The vibe was strong.
In a newsletter (via Vulture) accompanying the first volume of their new vinyl series, drummer Chris Tomson gave fans the lay of the land, saying lead singer Ezra Koenig “took a raga singing lesson with Terry Riley in rural Japan and wrote what he considers to be 7 of his all-time top 10 best songs.” Whether or not the band is replacing guitars with sitars is currently unknown.
Tomson went on to describe being able to “connect, jawbone, and jam” with his bandmates without any responsibilities and compared it to their formation at Columbia University. “I personally found an immense peace and pleasure from creating with the guys like we had in the Ruggles days,” he wrote. “The vibe was strong.
- 6/27/2023
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Music
Along with being a member of The Monkees, Mike Nesmith was a stellar songwriter. His composition “Different Drum” became a hit for The Greenbriar Boys and The Stone Poneys. However, his own recorded version included a verse that ultimately changed the meaning of the entire song. Here are all the details.
Linda Ronstadt and Mike Nesmith in side-by-side photographs taken in the 1960s | Bettmann/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Mike Nesmith’s extra verse changed the overall intent of Linda Ronstadt’s version of ‘Different Drum’
Nesmith started writing and performing music in the early 1960s under the name “Michael Blessing.” He found some small success as a songwriter with a fusion of country and rock.
During that period, Nesmith wrote “Different Drum.” The song tells the story of a pair of lovers. One wants to settle down, while the other wants to retain a sense of freedom and independence.
Linda Ronstadt and Mike Nesmith in side-by-side photographs taken in the 1960s | Bettmann/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Mike Nesmith’s extra verse changed the overall intent of Linda Ronstadt’s version of ‘Different Drum’
Nesmith started writing and performing music in the early 1960s under the name “Michael Blessing.” He found some small success as a songwriter with a fusion of country and rock.
During that period, Nesmith wrote “Different Drum.” The song tells the story of a pair of lovers. One wants to settle down, while the other wants to retain a sense of freedom and independence.
- 5/19/2023
- by Lucille Barilla
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
As a member of The Monkees, Mike Nesmith was responsible for writing some of the band’s most unforgettable songs. Although behind-the-scenes of The Monkees television show, the powers-that-be relied on a stable of prolific songwriters to pen many of the band’s tunes, Nesmith muscled his way into their league with a series of songs that remain fan favorites to this day. However, he could not shake one song in particular, which appeared on deluxe editions of two Monkees albums and two of his solo recordings.
The Monkees’ Mike Nesmith, Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, and Peter Tork | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Mike Nesmith was a songwriter before The Monkees
Before being cast as one-fourth of The Monkees, Mike Nesmith was a songwriter. Per TCM, in 1963, Nesmith performed at various folk venues, including The Troubadour. He met Randy Sparks of the New Christy Minstrels there and earned a songwriting publishing deal.
The Monkees’ Mike Nesmith, Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, and Peter Tork | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Mike Nesmith was a songwriter before The Monkees
Before being cast as one-fourth of The Monkees, Mike Nesmith was a songwriter. Per TCM, in 1963, Nesmith performed at various folk venues, including The Troubadour. He met Randy Sparks of the New Christy Minstrels there and earned a songwriting publishing deal.
- 3/11/2023
- by Lucille Barilla
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Monkees were a manufactured band from the 1960s. But that doesn’t mean the band members weren’t friends in real life. Micky Dolenz and Mike Nesmith continued to collaborate after their time with the Monkees was done, which Dolenz admitted could get emotional.
The Monkees were created for a popular 1960s sitcom
What's your favorite song by The Monkees? Tell us below! pic.twitter.com/2xZDmiftXi
— MeTV (@MeTV) July 10, 2022
The Monkees were put together in 1966 for a sitcom, also called The Monkees. The band was made up of Dolenz, Nesmith, Peter Tork, and Davy Jones. In addition to starring in the show, the group also recorded Monkees albums and went out on tour.
By the end of the ’60s, the Monkees disbanded and worked on their solo careers. They would reunite from time to time for tours and to record new material. After the deaths of Tork and Jones,...
The Monkees were created for a popular 1960s sitcom
What's your favorite song by The Monkees? Tell us below! pic.twitter.com/2xZDmiftXi
— MeTV (@MeTV) July 10, 2022
The Monkees were put together in 1966 for a sitcom, also called The Monkees. The band was made up of Dolenz, Nesmith, Peter Tork, and Davy Jones. In addition to starring in the show, the group also recorded Monkees albums and went out on tour.
By the end of the ’60s, the Monkees disbanded and worked on their solo careers. They would reunite from time to time for tours and to record new material. After the deaths of Tork and Jones,...
- 3/4/2023
- by India McCarty
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Exclusive: Ranging in subject matter from coronavirus lockdown to local politics inspired by Aoc and the Squad, sibling revelations, winning the lottery and more, the 10 scripts that make up Hollywood’s first ever Muslim List were revealed Tuesday.
Agents, start dialing – see the full list below.
First reported last September by Deadline, The Muslim List is an initiative by The Black List, the Muslim Public Affairs Council Hollywood Bureau and Pillars Fund focusing on screenwriters who are practitioners or followers of Islam, an often dramatically underrepresented group in Tinseltown, to say the least. About 200 feature film and pilot scripts were submitted by the December 4 deadline, with evaluations conducted into early this year.
And now we have a list. Requests for the scripts themselves can be made through the Black List.
“On behalf of Mpac’s board and staff, congratulations to the 10 winners of the first-ever Black List Muslim List,” said Sue Obeidi,...
Agents, start dialing – see the full list below.
First reported last September by Deadline, The Muslim List is an initiative by The Black List, the Muslim Public Affairs Council Hollywood Bureau and Pillars Fund focusing on screenwriters who are practitioners or followers of Islam, an often dramatically underrepresented group in Tinseltown, to say the least. About 200 feature film and pilot scripts were submitted by the December 4 deadline, with evaluations conducted into early this year.
And now we have a list. Requests for the scripts themselves can be made through the Black List.
“On behalf of Mpac’s board and staff, congratulations to the 10 winners of the first-ever Black List Muslim List,” said Sue Obeidi,...
- 5/11/2021
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
By Lee Pfeiffer
Yaphet Kotto, the distinctive and distinguished actor, has passed away at age 81. Kotto was born in Harlem and began to study acting at age 16. He made his big screen debut in 1964 in the acclaimed race-themed drama "Nothing But a Man" opposite Ivan Dixon, a fellow African-American whose star would rise on the basis of the film. Kotto also appeared in "The Thomas Crown Affair" (1968) and was a regular presence in guest star roles on top TV series such as "Gunsmoke", "Daniel Boone", "Night Gallery", "The Big Valley", "Hawaii Five-0", "Mannix" and "The High Chapparal". He was nominated for an Emmy award for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 1976 TV production of "Raid on Entebbe". Kotto simultaneously kept landing good parts in major movies such as "5 Card Stud", "The Liberation of L.B. Jones" and "Across 110th Street". In 1973, he appeared in what is perhaps his most memorable role,...
Yaphet Kotto, the distinctive and distinguished actor, has passed away at age 81. Kotto was born in Harlem and began to study acting at age 16. He made his big screen debut in 1964 in the acclaimed race-themed drama "Nothing But a Man" opposite Ivan Dixon, a fellow African-American whose star would rise on the basis of the film. Kotto also appeared in "The Thomas Crown Affair" (1968) and was a regular presence in guest star roles on top TV series such as "Gunsmoke", "Daniel Boone", "Night Gallery", "The Big Valley", "Hawaii Five-0", "Mannix" and "The High Chapparal". He was nominated for an Emmy award for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 1976 TV production of "Raid on Entebbe". Kotto simultaneously kept landing good parts in major movies such as "5 Card Stud", "The Liberation of L.B. Jones" and "Across 110th Street". In 1973, he appeared in what is perhaps his most memorable role,...
- 3/16/2021
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Writer, producer, director Lee Daniels discusses some of his favorite films with Josh & Joe.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Infested (2002)
Shadowboxer (2005)
The United States Vs. Billie Holiday (2021)
A Star Is Born (1937)
Lee Daniels’ The Butler (2013)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
Lady Sings The Blues (1972)
Island In The Sun (1957)
Carmen Jones (1954)
Claudine (1974)
Mandingo (1975)
Drum (1976)
Caligula (1979)
Gloria (1980)
The Exorcist (1973)
Abby (1974)
Blacula (1972)
Scream Blacula Scream (1973)
Cabaret (1972)
Lenny (1974)
Sounder (1972)
All That Jazz (1979)
I Am A Camera (1955)
Travels With My Aunt (1972)
The Emigrants (1971)
Star 80 (1983)
Harold And Maude (1971)
The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather Part II (1974)
Pickup On South Street (1953)
In The Mood For Love (2000)
Leave Her To Heaven (1945)
Laura (1944)
Dragonwyck (1946)
The Baron of Arizona (1950)
His Kind of Woman (1951)
Explorers (1985)
Innerspace (1987)
Jack Reacher (2012)
Them (1954)
Revenge of the Creature (1955)
Tarantula! (1955)
Coogan’s Bluff (1968)
Going In Style (1979)
Going In Style (2017)
Judas And The Black Messiah (2021)
Stroszek (1977)
Fitzcarraldo (1982)
Land of Silence and Darkness (1971)
Cave Of Forgotten Dreams...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Infested (2002)
Shadowboxer (2005)
The United States Vs. Billie Holiday (2021)
A Star Is Born (1937)
Lee Daniels’ The Butler (2013)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
Lady Sings The Blues (1972)
Island In The Sun (1957)
Carmen Jones (1954)
Claudine (1974)
Mandingo (1975)
Drum (1976)
Caligula (1979)
Gloria (1980)
The Exorcist (1973)
Abby (1974)
Blacula (1972)
Scream Blacula Scream (1973)
Cabaret (1972)
Lenny (1974)
Sounder (1972)
All That Jazz (1979)
I Am A Camera (1955)
Travels With My Aunt (1972)
The Emigrants (1971)
Star 80 (1983)
Harold And Maude (1971)
The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather Part II (1974)
Pickup On South Street (1953)
In The Mood For Love (2000)
Leave Her To Heaven (1945)
Laura (1944)
Dragonwyck (1946)
The Baron of Arizona (1950)
His Kind of Woman (1951)
Explorers (1985)
Innerspace (1987)
Jack Reacher (2012)
Them (1954)
Revenge of the Creature (1955)
Tarantula! (1955)
Coogan’s Bluff (1968)
Going In Style (1979)
Going In Style (2017)
Judas And The Black Messiah (2021)
Stroszek (1977)
Fitzcarraldo (1982)
Land of Silence and Darkness (1971)
Cave Of Forgotten Dreams...
- 3/2/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Steve Carver, a director of action films whose portfolio included An Eye for an Eye and Lone Wolf McQuade, both starring Chuck Norris, and Big Bad Mama, starring Angie Dickinson, has died. He was 75.
Carver died Friday of a heart attack in Los Angeles, writer-producer Rob Word told The Hollywood Reporter.
Carver’s first feature was Pam Grier’s The Arena (1974), a gladiator movie set in ancient Rome that marked his initial collaboration with producer Roger Corman, and he also guided Ben Gazzara in Capone (1975), Warren Oates and Ken Norton in Drum (1976) and Lee Majors in Steel (1979).
Carver’s first love was photography,...
Carver died Friday of a heart attack in Los Angeles, writer-producer Rob Word told The Hollywood Reporter.
Carver’s first feature was Pam Grier’s The Arena (1974), a gladiator movie set in ancient Rome that marked his initial collaboration with producer Roger Corman, and he also guided Ben Gazzara in Capone (1975), Warren Oates and Ken Norton in Drum (1976) and Lee Majors in Steel (1979).
Carver’s first love was photography,...
Steve Carver, a director of action films whose portfolio included An Eye for an Eye and Lone Wolf McQuade, both starring Chuck Norris, and Big Bad Mama, starring Angie Dickinson, has died. He was 75.
Carver died Friday of a heart attack in Los Angeles, writer-producer Rob Word told The Hollywood Reporter.
Carver’s first feature was Pam Grier’s The Arena (1974), a gladiator movie set in ancient Rome that marked his initial collaboration with producer Roger Corman, and he also guided Ben Gazzara in Capone (1975), Warren Oates and Ken Norton in Drum (1976) and Lee Majors in Steel (1979).
Carver’s first love was photography,...
Carver died Friday of a heart attack in Los Angeles, writer-producer Rob Word told The Hollywood Reporter.
Carver’s first feature was Pam Grier’s The Arena (1974), a gladiator movie set in ancient Rome that marked his initial collaboration with producer Roger Corman, and he also guided Ben Gazzara in Capone (1975), Warren Oates and Ken Norton in Drum (1976) and Lee Majors in Steel (1979).
Carver’s first love was photography,...
La Fabrique Cinéma, the French support program aimed at young filmmakers from emerging countries, presented a wide-ranging showcase of works from around the world at the Cannes online market on Tuesday, among them new works by Iranian filmmaker Keywann Karimi (“Drum”) and Thai helmer Sompot Chidgasornpongse (“Railway Sleepers”).
They are among 10 filmmakers taking part in the Institut Français’ La Fabrique Cinéma program, presenting projects in various stages of development with the aim of finding co-production partners.
The works explore such topical issues as the trauma of war and imprisonment, religion, gender identity, migration, mental illness, love and family.
In “Do You Know Anything About Omid?” Karimi tells the story of a middle-aged couple in Tehran who set off in search of their beloved cat, who has disappeared. The film examines 1980s Iran, right after the revolution, when many people were imprisoned and political prisoners, including communists, were executed.
“My film...
They are among 10 filmmakers taking part in the Institut Français’ La Fabrique Cinéma program, presenting projects in various stages of development with the aim of finding co-production partners.
The works explore such topical issues as the trauma of war and imprisonment, religion, gender identity, migration, mental illness, love and family.
In “Do You Know Anything About Omid?” Karimi tells the story of a middle-aged couple in Tehran who set off in search of their beloved cat, who has disappeared. The film examines 1980s Iran, right after the revolution, when many people were imprisoned and political prisoners, including communists, were executed.
“My film...
- 6/24/2020
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
Epix has given a 10-episode straight-to-series order to Jerusalem's Lot, a drama based on the short story by Stephen King to star Oscar winner Adrien Brody. The series is the first from Epix Productions as the Epix becomes the latest cable/premium network to launch an in-house production arm.
Jerusalem’s Lot hails from writers Peter and Jason Filardi and producer Donald De Line. Production is slated to begin in May 2020 in Halifax, Nova Scotia with an eye towards a fall 2020 premiere.
The project reunites Peter Filardi, King and Epix President Michael Wright. Salem’s Lot, a two-part TNT miniseries written by Filardi and King based on King’s 1975 novel, was one of the highest profile projects Wright shepherded as VP Movies and Miniseries at the Turner network. He went on to become Svp Original Programming for TNT, President and Head of Programming for TNT,...
Jerusalem’s Lot hails from writers Peter and Jason Filardi and producer Donald De Line. Production is slated to begin in May 2020 in Halifax, Nova Scotia with an eye towards a fall 2020 premiere.
The project reunites Peter Filardi, King and Epix President Michael Wright. Salem’s Lot, a two-part TNT miniseries written by Filardi and King based on King’s 1975 novel, was one of the highest profile projects Wright shepherded as VP Movies and Miniseries at the Turner network. He went on to become Svp Original Programming for TNT, President and Head of Programming for TNT,...
- 12/19/2019
- by Nellie Andreeva and Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
A flawed masterpiece, writer-director-star Nate Parker’s The Birth Of A Nation is based on the true tale of Nat Turner, a bible-thumping, visionary slave who led a bloody uprising in Virginia in 1831. As a child, Nat was bound for more than picking cotton. With the encouragement of his owner’s nurturing wife (Penelope Ann Miller), Nat studied the Bible, which leads to him growing up (played by Parker) as one of the few educated slaves on the struggling plantation run by Samuel Turner (Armie Hammer). Samuel rents Nat out to other plantation owners to preach, earning a name as someone who can keep slaves mollified despite their abuse. Nat crosses a line by baptizing a white man which leads to a whipping and the epiphany that he can no longer stand by while blacks are mistreated. He and a band of fellow slaves ambush and murder over 50 white folks...
- 10/7/2016
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Strangely enough, Pam Grier’s last Blaxploitation feature, 1975’s Sheba, Baby, would be the title to introduce her to a much wider audience thanks to its PG rating. Though undoubtedly adult in theme, it’s a kittenish exercise compared to the violence, gratuitous sex, and shameless taken-for-granted racist and misogynistic antics of earlier efforts. Its classification as the final chapter of Grier’s Blaxploitation days is also sort of a misnomer, since this refers to the last time she’d don her famous persona as an action star in pursuit of a more serious career, heading into Drum (a sequel to the infamous Mandingo), starring opposite Richard Pryor in Greased Lightning, and even a Ray Bradbury adaptation in Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983). But 1975 was one of several sterling years for Grier, headlining three films, though none of them would eventually reach the same iconicity as the prior year’s...
- 3/1/2016
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Mandingo, a 1975 movie based on the best-selling period potboiler by Kyle Onstott about sexual shenanigans between masters and slaves on the Falconhurst slave-breeding plantation, was savaged by critics who saw it as nothing but degrading, big-budget exploitation. Roger Ebert called it “racist trash”, a “piece of manure”, and “excruciating to sit through”. Mandingo certainly had it all; brutal violence, interracial sex, rape, infanticide, lynchings, and abundant nudity including full-frontal shots of it’s male star, boxer Ken Norton. But of course it was a huge hit and inspired a brief run of “slaverysploitation” films such as Passion Plantation (1975 aka Black Emmanuelle, White Emmanuelle ) and the cleverly titled Mandiga (1976). Mandingo was overwrought melodrama to be sure, but it’s a model of subtlety compared to its official sequel, the more lascivious Drum, a mean-spirited trash epic from 1976 that would never fly in today’s politically correct climate. Despite its spaghetti western trappings,...
- 12/12/2014
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Drum, the title character in the 1976 slaverysploitation hit Drum, was that perfect specimen of slave that neither man nor women could keep their hands off. He was played by Ken Norton, a former world champion heavyweight boxer who had also played Drum’s father Mede in the film’s predecessor Mandingo. Norton had a brooding, massive presence and no doubt high hopes for a film career, but he was no actor and his awkward readings and blank stare stood in stark contrast to the scenery-chewing of his Mandingo and Drum co-stars (James Mason, Warren Oates, Pam Grier – did he have a chance?). Norton (who once broke Muhammad Ali’s jaw) was reportedly a contender for the role of Apollo Creed in Rocky but, though he did appear in a handful of subsequent films, Mandingo and Drum were his first and last shots at big-screen stardom. Norton was in St. Louis...
- 9/19/2013
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Over the weekend, we found out a truckload more information about GTA V, specifically as it pertains to the sound of the game. Rockstar announced that GTA V will have a whopping 15 radio stations along with 2 talk radio stations, totaling over 240 licensed songs, and also an original, context-sensitive score provided by Tangerine Dream’s Edgar Froese, Woody Jackson (who previously worked on Red Dead Redemption and L.A. Noire), and The Alchemist & Oh No.
In addition to the five tracks that Rockstar released samples of, we’ve also learned that the likes of Pam Grier and Kenny Loggins will be hosting other radio stations (soul and rock respectively). While some stations are starting to leak out given the Psn screw-up last week, Rockstar have posted some official sample clips to whet our appetites ahead of the September 17th release date…
5. Vinewood Boulevard Radio
Ensuring that GTA V is going to...
In addition to the five tracks that Rockstar released samples of, we’ve also learned that the likes of Pam Grier and Kenny Loggins will be hosting other radio stations (soul and rock respectively). While some stations are starting to leak out given the Psn screw-up last week, Rockstar have posted some official sample clips to whet our appetites ahead of the September 17th release date…
5. Vinewood Boulevard Radio
Ensuring that GTA V is going to...
- 9/2/2013
- by Shaun Munro
- Obsessed with Film
December is Tarantino Month here at Sos, and in the week leading up our January month-long theme of westerns, I thought it would be best to whip up an article spotlighting some films that influenced Tarantino’s long awaited take on the western, Django Unchained. For my money, all of the films listed below are essential viewing for fans of Django Unchained. I’ll be diving deeper into these films come January, but in the meantime, this should hopefully whet your appetite. Enjoy!
Note: I’m not including any Sergio Leone Spaghetti westerns as they should be essential viewing for anyone, regardless if you like or dislike Tarantino’s film.
****
Django
Directed by Sergio Corbucci
Written by Bruco Corbucci and Sergio Corbucci
1966, Italy / Spain
The most obvious influence for Django Unchained was of course critic-turned-director Sergio Corbucci’s 1966 masterpiece Django. The film features the Belgian actor Franco Nero playing the...
Note: I’m not including any Sergio Leone Spaghetti westerns as they should be essential viewing for anyone, regardless if you like or dislike Tarantino’s film.
****
Django
Directed by Sergio Corbucci
Written by Bruco Corbucci and Sergio Corbucci
1966, Italy / Spain
The most obvious influence for Django Unchained was of course critic-turned-director Sergio Corbucci’s 1966 masterpiece Django. The film features the Belgian actor Franco Nero playing the...
- 12/26/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
When I was a kid, I devoured the kitschy fun of producer Dino De Laurentiis' films such as the 1976 "King Kong" remake. His name got branded in my feeble mind. When you see his "Dino De Laurentiis Presents" before a trailer, you know that film would be fun!
So the death of the Oscar-winning Italian film producer saddened me. The Italian media was reporting that Laurentiis, who gave the world nearly 500 films including "La Strada," "Serpico," and "Three Days of the Condor" died in Los Angeles. He was 91.
Here's a lengthy but absolutely wonderful snap shot of Laurentiis' life written by John Gallagher from film reference:
One of the most colorful, prolific, and successful producers in the contemporary motion picture business, Dino De Laurentiis has proven his entrepreneurial skills time and again, growing from an independent Italian producer into an international conglomerate. His product, from low-budget neorealist works to multimillion dollar spectacles,...
So the death of the Oscar-winning Italian film producer saddened me. The Italian media was reporting that Laurentiis, who gave the world nearly 500 films including "La Strada," "Serpico," and "Three Days of the Condor" died in Los Angeles. He was 91.
Here's a lengthy but absolutely wonderful snap shot of Laurentiis' life written by John Gallagher from film reference:
One of the most colorful, prolific, and successful producers in the contemporary motion picture business, Dino De Laurentiis has proven his entrepreneurial skills time and again, growing from an independent Italian producer into an international conglomerate. His product, from low-budget neorealist works to multimillion dollar spectacles,...
- 11/11/2010
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Mandingo, a 1975 movie based on the best-selling period potboiler by Kyle Onstott about sexual shenanigans between masters and slaves on the Falconhurst slave-breeding plantation, was savaged by critics who saw it as nothing but degrading, big-budget exploitation. Roger Ebert called it “racist trash”, a “piece of manure”, and “excruciating to sit through” and Mandingo certainly had it all; brutal violence, interracial sex, rape, infanticide, lynchings, and abundant nudity including full-frontal shots of it’s male star, boxer Ken Norton. But of course it was a huge hit and inspired a brief run of “slaverysploitation” films such as Passion Plantation (1975 aka Black Emmanuelle, White Emmanuelle ) and the cleverly titled Mandiga (1976). Mandingo was overwrought melodrama to be sure, but it’s a model of subtlety compared to its official sequel, the more lascivious Drum, a mean-spirited trash epic from 1976 that would never fly in today’s politically correct climate. Despite it’s...
- 12/23/2009
- by Tom
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
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